Continuous Casting: the route, the tolerances it holds, materials and design tips, with an indicative cost. One of 56 processes in the free finder.
CastingFamily
+/-1mmTypical tol.
5Route steps
19Parts in finder
Continuous casting solidifies metal as it is drawn steadily from a water-cooled mould, producing a long billet, bloom or slab of uniform cross section.
At a glance
When to use it, and when not
Best for
Feedstock: bar, billet and slab for downstream rolling, forging and machining.
Watch for
It makes stock, not finished parts; the cross section is constant.
Step by step
The typical route
Raw material to finished part. Steps vary with material, volume and tolerance; this is the free route from the finder.
Tundish & mold
Feed molten metal through a tundish into a water-cooled mold.
Tooling Caster Tolerance - Lead -
Continuous cast
Withdraw the solidifying strand continuously.
Tooling - Tolerance - Lead -
Cut to length
Torch/shear the strand into billets or slabs.
Tooling - Tolerance - Lead -
Condition
Grind/scarf surface defects.
Tooling - Tolerance - Lead -
Inspect & cert
Check chemistry and issue the mill certificate.
Tooling - Tolerance - Lead -
Precision
Tolerances it can hold
TYPICAL TOLERANCE IT CAN HOLD
Where this process typically lands. Tighter is possible with extra operations like grinding, at higher cost.
Materials
Materials it suits
Grade
Why it suits this
Carbon steel billet
Stock for rolling/forging
Aluminium billet
Stock for extrusion
Copper/brass stock
Electrical, plumbing
Design
Design tips
A few general pointers for Continuous Casting. The full, part-specific DFM list is in the dossier.
Over-specifying stock size.Buy nearest standard section.
No cert traceability.Require mill certs.
Cost
What it costs
This is how billet/bloom/slab stock is made; you buy it per tonne, not per part. Price tracks the metal market.
PER-PART COST vs VOLUME
Per-part cost drops as volume spreads tooling and setup over more parts. The exact figures for your part at your volume, in your currency, are in the dossier.
MODEL EST.
$1.2 to 2.6per part at 1,000 off
A rough ballpark only. The dossier gives should-cost at your exact volume and currency, with the full breakdown.
GET THE FULL DOSSIER
Everything you need to quote and source it
The free route above is yours. To actually put a number on this process and buy it well:
Should-cost at your exact volume in 12 currencies, with the material, processing, tooling and overhead breakdown
Who to source from, typical MOQ and lead time, and the exact RFQ checklist to send
A quote checker that tells you if a supplier quote is fair, and the red flags to watch
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Continuous casting solidifies metal as it is drawn steadily from a water-cooled mould, producing a long billet, bloom or slab of uniform cross section. The typical route is: Tundish & mold; Continuous cast; Cut to length; Condition; Inspect & cert. Feedstock: bar, billet and slab for downstream rolling, forging and machining.
What does Continuous Casting cost per part?
It depends on size, tolerance and volume. As a rough ballpark it starts around $1.2 to 2.6 per part at low volume and falls with quantity. The dossier gives should-cost at your exact volume and currency. Model estimates, not quotes.
What tolerance can Continuous Casting hold?
Typically about +/-1 mm, tighter with extra finishing operations at higher cost.
What materials suit Continuous Casting?
Common choices are Carbon steel billet (Stock for rolling/forging); Aluminium billet (Stock for extrusion); Copper/brass stock (Electrical, plumbing).
See the exact route and should-cost for your part
The free finder maps your part to its process and full route. Pro adds should-cost at your volume, sourcing and an RFQ draft.
